In the morning, Eui Shin returned with the herbs he had been given.
It seemed he had received them from the Huashan Sect.
âHow could he do that with his frail body?â
For an ordinary person, it would be difficult to make a round trip, yet Shin managed to come and go effortlessly with his aged body.
He must have received them from a scholar, right? Otherwise, it would be impossible.
"Indeed, all the turbid qi has disappeared."
Shin said this while examining the body of the Sword Maiden.
Fortunately, it seemed that all the evil qi had disappeared.
Yesterday, during the treatment, I lost consciousness and fell, and the Sword Maiden also fainted.
When Shin urgently examined her, all the turbid qi in her body had already disappeared.
He also said that there were no major issues with my body.
From this, we can conclude:
âAfter all, Shin cannot sense the evil qi in my body.â
Although Shin can sense the evil qi in others, he did not mention the evil qi in my body during the examination, suggesting that he might not have noticed it.
âWhy is that?â
I can still feel the evil qi swirling in my dantian.
âFortunately, it seems to be purifying.â
The evil qi in my body is gradually being purified by the Gyeonmyeolhwaeum Gong.
Itâs just that the amount is too much, so itâs not very noticeable.
âThe evil qi doesnât seem to be causing any trouble or pain.â
This is the most fortunate part.
I was worried that if the absorbed evil qi started to act up, I wouldnât know what to do.
But for now, there are no such problems.
Shin, perhaps aware of this, told me to go back and rest if there were no issues with my body.
He said it seemed fine after his examination.
However, he instructed me to call him immediately if any problems arose.
I wondered why Shin was being so kind to me.
âTo really push out the turbid qi, I need to figure out howâŚ! The easiest way would be to open my body, but thatâs not possible, so whatâŚâ
â...â
I quickly came down, thinking the rest shouldnât be heard.
As I was about to go outside, the Sword Maiden said she would visit me later and express her gratitude then.
I returned to my quarters, saying that there was no need for gratitude.
And now.
"Come back before dinner, right? An overnight stay?"
It seems Iâve messed up.
Two pairs of cold eyes are directed at me.
A cold sensation runs down my back, as if Iâm standing on ice.
âDamn it.â
I turned my head away, feeling intimidated.
Nangong Bia was looking at me without blinking.
Her already cold expression, now with a glare, makes it feel as if snow is falling around her.
"But, thatâs... "
Why am I being scolded like this?
Iâm at a loss for words.
â˘â˘â˘Why am I being scolded?
The situation is strangely unfolding.
I almost blurted out an excuse.
ââ˘â˘â˘Iâm the master here, yet Iâm being scolded for an overnight stay.â
Of course, itâs true that I didnât show up when I was told to come back before dinner.
But I had my reasons.
Whatâs even more frustrating is:
âEven though I know, I canât say a word...!â
My instinct is telling me:
Just stay quiet for now.
If I speak rashly, Iâll be the one to suffer.
In the end, I just kept my mouth shut and exchanged glances with Nangong Bia.
After staring at me for a while, Nangong Bia finally stood up.
She took a few steps as if heading to practice and said to me:
"Next time, at least say something..."
With that, she went off to practice.
Incidentally, this was the quietest meal Iâve had since the regression.
Nangong Bia is usually quiet, but Weishe was surprisingly silent as well.
Now that I think about it, I almost choked.
Somehow, the next day arrived.
Weishe, who usually gets over her anger quickly, approached me cheerfully, unlike yesterday.
As for Nangong Bia, itâs hard to tell if sheâs holding it in, but from what I can see, she doesnât seem to be paying much attention.
ââ˘â˘â˘Am I still alive?â
Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
Checking my body, the evil qi was still swirling but was quiet, and the purification was ongoing.
I tried to sense if the evil qi in my body would be noticeable, but fortunately, only my other qi was being used, not the evil qi.
It felt as if something was suppressing the evil qi, preventing it from being used.
ââ˘â˘â˘Is this related to the voice I heard?â
The voice I heard while absorbing the Sword Maidenâs evil qi.
That eerie and ominous voice still lingers in my mind.
âOr, could the disappearance of Shinno be related...â
I couldnât shake this thought.
Where did Noa, who was swept away, go?
Did he, who devoured so much, also reach Noa?
This isnât a silly thought that Iâm already missing him after just a few days.
I definitely have feelings, but more importantly:
âHow far can he reach?â
If there is something, I need to know what it is.
And I need to know what he wants.
Is the creature that Shinno was suppressing the one from yesterday?
I canât be sure, but I canât think of anything else.
âIs this also due to the dark arts?â
The dark arts of the Heavenly Demon that came with the regression.
While this disgusting power allowed me to do many things in my previous life, I donât want to repeat the same things now.
"â˘â˘â˘Iâm tired."
Suddenly, I had the illusion that someone in my head said, "Well, itâs a mess even if it goes well."
Is Shinno really completely gone?
It seems not, for some reason, I have a feeling he hasnât disappeared.
Sitting in a meditative posture and circulating my mind method, I sensed someone outside.
-Young Master, itâs Hongwa.
I immediately stopped applying my inner energy at the sound of the voice.
Since my concentration was already broken, it was pointless to continue.
"Whatâs the matter?"
Creak.
In response to my question, Hongwa cautiously opened the door.
"â˘â˘â˘A guest has come."
"Guest? Who?"
I thought it might be Yeongfeng.
The only visitors who come without warning are Yeongfeng and Maehwaseon.
Maehwaseon is likely busy with the current situation, so itâs probably Yeongfeng.
Contrary to my expectations, an unexpected person was mentioned by Hongwa.
"Itâs the youngest miss."
"Huh...?"
Gulinghua had come.
And she wasnât alone, but with another person.
Following Hongwaâs guidance, people entered the room.
Gulinghua, who seemed to be observing something, and another woman came in.
"Iâm sorry for coming so suddenly."
"â˘â˘â˘Itâs fine."
I unconsciously added more words, not realizing how flustered I was.
The person who came with Gulinghua was none other than the Sword Maiden.
The problem was that it took me a while to recognize her.
She had changed so much.
âI thought it would just make her a bit younger.â
Her white hair, which had turned gray, was now completely black, and the wrinkles that made her look older than Maehwaseon were gone.
She looked like a woman in her early twenties, and even if I generously estimated, she wouldnât be over forty.
âCan absorbing evil qi change someone this much?â
The inner energy that was used to suppress the spread of evil qi must have started functioning again as the evil qi in the Sword Maidenâs body disappeared.
I knew how excellent her pure and clear inner energy was from my direct experience yesterday.
But I didnât expect it to be this much.
"â˘â˘â˘Iâm glad you look healthy."
"You look very surprised."
Yes, Iâm extremely surprised.
The old woman who was slowly aging over time had disappeared, and a woman with a refined aura appeared.
She definitely looked younger than when I saw her yesterday.
The Sword Maiden smiled slightly, noticing my gaze.
"I was also very surprised. I never thought I could return to my original form, and to do so in such a short time... â˘â˘â˘."
âIt seems itâs not a complete transformation.â
From what she said, it seems this was her original appearance.
After all, itâs unrealistic to think that a complete transformation could happen in one go.
"Shin said that itâs impossible for someone to change so much in just one day, but he wanted to see you, so I told him to calm down first."
"Ah, Iâm really grateful for that."
I recalled Shinâs face, who was eager to study my body, with a glint in his eyes.
I could sense a hint of madness in his expression.
â I should avoid him for a while...â
It was a bit scary.
"I came to express my gratitude, which I havenât yet."
"Thereâs no need to do that... "
"How can I not? You saved my life."
Saying this, the Sword Maiden bowed deeply to me with proper etiquette.
I was startled and tried to stop her, but she was faster.
"Thank you. You saved the life of this unworthy woman... "
"Sword Maiden... "
"Thanks to you, I can see the next year, and I can let go of the regret of leaving my disciple alone. How can I not express my gratitude?"
"It was just something I could do."
"I know better than anyone how difficult that was."
Is that true?
The Sword Maidenâs words were sincere, but I couldnât understand them.
It wasnât an action based on a pure belief.
For me, it was just a futile attempt to atone for my sins.
The Sword Maiden said to me:
"If you have any wishes, tell me. The life you saved, I can give it to you whenever you want."
"Master...!"
Gulinghua called out, seemingly shocked, but the Sword Maidenâs eyes were resolute.
I gave a hollow laugh at her expression.
"Having gone through all the trouble to save you, how can I ask for your life in return?"
After all the effort yesterday, she wants to give her life first.
I interpreted this as the extent of her gratitude towards me.
âMost importantly.â
I glanced at Gulinghua.
Noticing my gaze, Gulinghua met my eyes and then looked away, clearing her throat.
âI feel like Iâve done you a favor, not the other way around.â
What a pointless thought.
I shook my head to clear it.
"Iâm fine with my life, but there might be something I need to ask of you, Sword Maiden."
"Tell me, and Iâll do it."
"Are you saying youâll do anything I ask?"
What if I suddenly asked her to betray Huashan or kill someone?
I wondered what she was thinking.
Did she notice my thoughts? The Sword Maiden chuckled slightly.
"No matter what you ask, I donât think youâll harm others or ask for something you need."
Why does she think that?
I felt uncomfortable with her trust and looked away.
âAfter all, I burned down Huashan.â
It was a terrifying fact that I had to face.
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Until all the scholars of Huashan Sect were killed, and the majestic Taishan was reduced to a pile of ashes.
My eyes, which witnessed all this, still remember that moment.
â˘â˘â˘I donât have any immediate requests, but Iâll visit you soon.
The Sword Maiden smiled at my words.
"Ah, and I have one question for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Itâs something Iâve always wanted to ask, but I never did."
The Sword Maiden said this and told Gulinghua to go outside.
Gulinghua showed a reluctant expression but the Sword Maiden was firm.
"Go outside for a moment."
"Yes... "
Finally, Gulinghua left with a pouting face.
The Sword Maiden quickly wiped the smile from her face and became somewhat serious.
What is she going to ask?
She said I could ask, and the Sword Maiden spoke as if she had been waiting for it.